In his nearly 100-minute-long speech, President Donald Trump brought attention to the many executive orders he’s signed, as well as the “swift and unrelenting action” he has implemented since the start of his second presidential term during his March 4 congressional address.
“We’ve accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years, eight years, and we are just getting started,” he said toward the beginning of his joint address to Congress.
Throughout the address, he highlighted various modifications he has put forth, including the recent tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again and it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly. There will be a little disturbance but we’re okay with that, it won’t be much,” he said.
In the Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s congressional address, U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin urged Americans to “read the fine print” of Trump’s economic plan.
“Look, the President talked a big game on the economy, but it’s always important to read the fine print. So, do his plans actually help Americans get ahead? Not even close,” said the first-term senator from Michigan. “…His tariffs on allies like Canada will raise prices on energy, lumber, and cars. And start a trade war that will hurt manufacturing and farmers.”
Trump also mentioned the removal of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and claimed this action is to remove “wokeness” from the United States.
“We’re getting wokeness out of our schools and out of our military and it’s already out and it’s out of our society, we don’t want it. Wokeness is trouble, wokeness is bad, it’s gone, it’s gone,” Trump said.
Trump also went on to describe his part in mass deportation, the new “gold card,” the Department of Government Efficiency, as well as the withdrawal from international organizations like the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Council, among many other changes he made, and plans to make.
To conclude his speech, Trump claimed he will “lead” the nation to its “greatest era”.
“We are going to renew (the) unlimited promise of the American dream. Every single day we will stand up and we will fight, fight, fight for the country our citizens believe in and for the country our people deserve,” he said.
While Trump encourages Americans to trust the changes he’s putting in place are for the American people, Slotkin proposes the idea that Trump is dividing U.S. citizens and putting democracy at risk.
“It’s also at risk when the president pits Americans against each other, when he demonizes those who are different and tells certain people they shouldn’t be included,” she said.
Along with that, she encouraged those listening to take action by staying “tuned” in, holding elected officials accountable and finding a community to take action with.
“America wants change, but there is a responsible way to make change, and a reckless way, and we can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy,” Slotkin said.
